Wacky Rescues
by DancingAnimalGoddess19
Summary: Penelope Pitstop is in peril from the Hooded Claw and his henchmen, the Bully Brothers as always. But this time, all of her Wacky Races competitors, not just the Ant Hill Mob and Peter Perfect, come to her rescue! Will she be able to stay safe after each rescue while the Ant Hill Mob plans a surprise birthday party for her?
1. Breakfast in Bed and Birthday Plans!

It was a rather chilly, but beautiful September morning, and the members of the Ant Hill Mob: Clyde, Yak-Yak, Softy, Dum-Dum, Zippy, Snoozy, and Pockets were up bright and early for an important discussion.

"Alright you guys." Clyde told his boys. "You all know why we're having this meeting, right?"

"Yeah, Clyde!" The rest of the Ant Hill Mob replied, but then they forgot why they were having a meeting so early in the morning.

"Oh brother." Clyde groaned as he slapped his face. "You guys do know what day it is, right?"

"I know what day it is, Clyde." Dum-Dum attempted to answer Clyde's question, but he forgot what day it was, so he turned to the other mobsters, who gave each other clueless looks because they also forgot what day it was.

"Ugh, I can't believe you all forgot." An annoyed Clyde shook his head in disbelief. "It's September 13, Penelope's birthday! That's why we're up bright and early for this meeting."

"Oh, yeah…Right…" Said the other mobsters in scattered voices.

"And wherever is Penelope on such a special day?" Softy sobbed.

"Shh, she's still sleeping, so everyone keep your voices down." Clyde shushed them. "We can't wake her up or let her hear our surprise birthday plans for her, especially the surprise party I have in mind."

"You mean you're planning a surprise birthday party?" Pockets asked Clyde.

"With a birthday cake and such?" Zippy also asked.

"That's right, but it's not just me who's planning her party and getting everything ready for it." Clyde told the Mob. "Every one of us needs to pitch in and help each other get this party all put together and make sure Penelope's birthday is a good one. But first things first while she's still in bed."

"What's that Clyde?" Yak-Yak chuckled.

"Birthday surprise Number One of the day, her favorite breakfast in bed." Clyde explained. "All seven of us are gonna work together to make her breakfast. Now get to the kitchen and get started, and remember, stay quiet, do not mess up, and clean up all your messes."

"Right, Clyde." The Mob replied as they and Clyde went to the kitchen and prepared breakfast.

Despite a few goofups, small messes and having to remake some waffles after a few were accidentally burnt or underdone by Dum-Dum, the Ant Hill Mob finally managed to successfully prepare breakfast for the lovely Penelope Pitstop.

Penelope was indeed still sleeping very soundly and peacefully in her bedroom, tucked away in sweet dreams and the comfort and warmth of her bed on such a breezy September morning. Clyde silently crept into Penelope's room and very gently nudged her shoulder.

"Penelope…" He whispered. "Wake up, Penelope."

Penelope quietly gave a tired moan as she turned on her side as she still slept.

"Come on Penelope, rise and shine, kiddo." Clyde gave her another gentle nudge, but she still would not stir one bit.

"You can't stay in bed all day, Penelope. It's your birthday, today." Clyde kept nudging Penelope's shoulder until her eyes slowly fluttered open and she gave him a tired smile.

"Good morning, Penelope. Happy Birthday."

From there, Clyde helped the rest of the Mob carefully carry a tray (with small sides so she wouldn't accidentally spill anything) that had Penelope's breakfast into her room. On the tray were Belgian waffles, a small bowl of fresh berries, two strips of bacon, a small container of maple syrup for the waffles, a mug of coffee, a container that had cream, a container that had sugar, a small cup of orange juice, and a flower tied to a birthday card.

"Happy Birthday, Penelope!" The rest of the Mob told Penelope as they and Clyde held the tray.

"Oh, fellas." Penelope smiled and rubbed her eyes, the smell of the coffee waking her up a bit. "How sweet of y'all to surprise little ole me like that."

"Okay you guys, be very careful." Clyde told his boys as they all carried the tray to the side of Penelope's bed. "We'll serve her breakfast as soon as we make her comfy cozy and warm."

The Ant Hill Mob placed the tray aside and then helped make Penelope more comfortable in her bed by propping her upper body with extra soft pillows, straightening her covers before tucking them up to her chest, and restarting her electric blanket.

"Are you warm and comfortable enough, Penelope?" Softy sniffed.

"I sure am." Penelope took a breath and relaxed back against her pillows. "Here, I'll take care of that."

Penelope took the tray and, with help from Clyde, Yak-Yak, Softy, and Pockets, cautiously placed the tray below her.

Now that Penelope was all settled in for her breakfast, the Mob gathered around her.

"How's your breakfast, Penelope?" Dum-Dum asked Penelope.

"I love it, fellas." Penelope praised her heroes as she took a few bites of her waffles. "Thanks ever so ever. Who knew you had such good cooking skills."

"The first few times could've been better, but in the end, we all successfully managed." Clyde smiled. "Right, you guys?"

"Right, Clyde!" The Rest of the Mob agreed in unison.

"Penelope, here's your gift from all of us to you." Pockets reached into his pockets to find the Mob's present to Penelope, but it was not in his pockets at all.

"Oops, it's not there at all."

"You mean you guys forgot Penelope's present?" Clyde asked the rest of the mob in a stern voice.

The rest of the Mob felt guilty.

"Uh, sorry Clyde." Dum-Dum told Clyde.

"Don't be mad, Clyde." Softy wept. "We just didn't make our time right is all."

"Even that's on me, too." Clyde admitted. "Next time we're planning our gift shopping for Penelope early next year, and at Christmas of this year. Remember that."

"Boys, please don't worry about it." Penelope reassured the Mob. "I'm not in any rush to receive my little ole birthday gifts. I don't even mind getting them tomorrow. In fact, I think this surprise breakfast in bed and the time I'm spending with you during it is a wonderful gift."

"I think we can all agree on that." Clyde replied as he and the rest of the Mob went to hug her. "Gifts don't have to be any type of material. We love spending time with you."

But then he realized that he and the boys had to get her out of the house so they could plan her party.

"Hey, Penelope, you'd better get yourself ready for the day while we clean the kitchen now that your breakfast is finished."

"I'm just about to." Penelope got out of her bed and left to shower up while the Ant Hill Mob took the tray and went to clean the kitchen.

While Penelope took a shower and got herself dressed and ready upstairs, the Ant Hill Mob was cleaning the kitchen and trying to figure out how to send Penelope out of the house so she would be unable to know of their surprise plans.

"Alright boys, now we need to plan a trip for her so we can get everything set up for the party." Clyde turned to the others as they finished cleaning the kitchen.

"But how will we manage that, Clyde?" Yak-Yak giggled. "There's not much time for that."

"I've got it, everyone! I've got it!" An idea came to Zippy's mind.

"And what's that Zippy?" Clyde wondered.

"We'll just see what she's up to herself. You'll never know."

"Good idea, Zippy." Clyde grinned. "Why didn't I think of that?"

Although Clyde knew that Penelope couldn't be around while he and the other Mob members were planning her surprise party, he was a bit worried about sending her off on her own, knowing that her archenemy, the Hooded Claw, would very likely pursue her to try to do her in. His worries about what could happen disappeared and he entered reality again when he heard Penelope heading downstairs.

"Hey, Penelope." Clyde walked over to her once she came downstairs. "Do you have any plans or places to go today?"

"I'm supposed to meet Peter Perfect for lunch, but that's not til this afternoon." Penelope answered. "But until then, I think I'll go for a nice little ole drive in the town I'll be spending lunch with Peter and take in some sightseeing and some window shopping. In fact at some point I'll hit the salon and get a mani-pedi with some coupons I've been saving."

"Penelope, do you think you'll be okay on your own?" Clyde asked her.

"Are you sure you don't need us to drive you or anything?" Dum-Dum also asked.

"You'll never know when that foul fiend the Hooded Claw could strike." Zippy worried. "And he could strike anytime."

"Don't worry about me, boys." Penelope smiled. "I'm glad y'all wanna make sure I'm safe from the Hooded Claw, but I think I'll be alright. If anything does happen though, I'll call you, okay?"

"Okay, Penelope." The Ant Hill Mob nodded in agreement.

"Well if you've got plans, you'd better get going now." Clyde told Penelope after he looked at a wall clock.

"I'm about to right now." Penelope replied as she got her purse and went out the door, after giving them a reassuring hug.

"Don't hurry back Penelope." Zippy told her.

"Have a good time." Softy sobbed.

"Yeah, have a good time." Snoozy snored.

"Be extremely careful of the Hooded Claw, Penelope." Clyde reminded her.

"I'll be careful, fellas." Penelope told the Mob as she headed out the door. "I'll have my phone on at all times and I'll let you know if there's any little ole emergency. Goodbye y'all!"

After getting outside, Penelope started her car and headed off into another town.

"Now that she's gone, we can get everything started for the party." Clyde told his boys.

"I'm glad we're doing this for Penelope, but I am worried about her." He thought to himself. "I do hope she'll be safe."


	2. In Peril From a Giant Octopus!

While the Ant Hill Mob got started on planning her surprise party, Penelope was driving into another town.

Close behind and unknown to her, her guardian, Sylvester Sneekly took out a large green hat and cape, flipped his arm, and reappeared as the Hooded Claw.

"It's so sad Pitstop has to go on such a special occasion, but it's so worth her fortune!" The Hooded Claw laughed.

"What's the special occasion, Claw?" His twin henchmen, the Bully Brothers asked him.

"Pitstop's birthday is today, so my present to her is her very end!" The Hooded Claw grinned.

Penelope continued to drive to the town when all of a sudden, there was a loud pop, indicating a flat tire.

"Oh dear. How could this have happened?" Penelope frowned as she got out to check her tire, only to have discovered a puncture in it. "My poor little ole wheel has been punctured."

She then noticed a few tacks in the road were the reason Penelope's tire had been punctured.

"Tacks in the road. Who in heaven's name would do such a little ole thing?"

"You're looking at him right now, Pitstop." The Hooded Claw's voice made Penelope's head turn and she gasped in shock when she saw him and the Bully Brothers.

"The Hooded Claw!"

"None other!" The Hooded Claw gave an evil laugh. "What a pleasure to see you again, and happy birthday, my dear. You'll just love the gift I have for you!"

"What kind of a birthday gift do you have?"

"Doing you in. What else?" The Hooded Claw snapped his fingers as his signal for the Bully Brothers to snatch up Penelope. "You know what to do, Bully Brothers."

The Bully Brothers obeyed and grabbed Penelope. As she was being kidnapped, Penelope took this time to grab her cell phone out of her coat pocket and made an emergency call to Clyde.

"Clyde, put your little ole phone on speaker." Penelope told Clyde through the phone. "I've been ambushed by the Hooded Claw!"

"That's not good!" Clyde gasped. "Where are you, Penelope?"

"I'll take that." The Hooded Claw snatched Penelope's phone, hung up the phone, and placed it in his suit pocket.

Back at Penelope's house, Clyde showed concern for what just happened to Penelope.

"What's going on, Clyde? What's the matter?" Zippy asked him.

"The Hooded Claw has captured Penelope." Clyde told the rest of the Ant Hill Mob. "He took Penelope's cell phone and turned it off just before she could tell me where she was."

"We can't give up, Clyde." Softy wept. "We just have to find her."

"Uh, maybe Chuggaboom can search for her." Dum-Dum wondered.

"For once you've made a smart move, Dum-Dum." Clyde replied. "This might delay us in setting things up for Penelope's surprise party, but there's no other choice. She needs our help."

Clyde went to Penelope's room, grabbed one of her pink pillows from her bed, and brought it to Chuggaboom so he could sniff her trail. Chuggaboom sniffed Penelope's pillow and perked up, indicating that he knew where Penelope was.

"That a boy, Chuggaboom!" Clyde showed determination to rescue Penelope. "Where is she?"

Chuggaboom pointed straight across with one of his front tires.

"If you say so, Chuggaboom. Lead the way!"

Chuggaboom darted off straight across to wherever the Hooded Claw had taken Penelope.

Elsewhere, the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers had taken Penelope on a large boat on the ocean. She was tied up and trapped inside a fishnet full of dead crabs that hung above the ocean from a large post.

"Alright you fiend, what wicked scheme do you have for me out at sea?" Penelope scowled.

"Thanks for asking, Pitstop" The Hooded Claw sneered. "I'll be more than happy to tell you."

"If you'll notice, I've tied you up inside that fishnet that is currently full of dead crabs and hanging just above the water." He began to explain his peril. "In case you're wondering why those crabs are sharing the net with you, they're for a hungry giant octopus in the sea. If you look to your left, you'll see a bucket of another set of crabs, which the Bully Brothers will feed to the octopus. Once he eats that set of crabs, he'll develop an appetite for more, and once we lower you and the other crabs, he'll grab the net with his tentacles, and not only will you be sunk, you'll also be quite a hearty breakfast!"

The Hooded Claw laughed evilly after his explanation.

"Why you cad!" Penelope glared at him. "Even on my birthday you still won't stop your plans to do away with me?"

"The only holidays I take off are Thanksgiving and Christmas."

He then turned to the Bully Brothers.

"Alright Bully Brothers, summon the squid!"

"Right, Claw." The Bully Brothers nodded before they took the bucket of dead crabs and poured them into the water.

The scent of the crabs that were poured in the water attracted a giant octopus, who went out of his habitat to eat them.

"By now our squid should have a crabby craving." The Hooded Claw watched the sea with evil and glee. "Therefore, it's time to lower the bait."

He went to a post that the net holding Penelope was hooked to and used a reel handle similar to those commonly on fishing poles, and wheeled it to lower the net.

"You know, Claw, you sure have a knack for making people crabby." Penelope told the Hooded Claw.

Fortunately, the Ant Hill Mob was on the lookout for Penelope.

"We may never find her this time." Yak-Yak chuckled.

"Keep your thoughts and your yak-yaks to yourself, Yak-Yak." Clyde replied. "We'll find her in time."

Chuggaboom pointed straight to where Penelope was.

"Good work, Chuggaboom." Clyde said. "Where is she?"

"I'll keep lookout for her." Zippy got out and stood on top of Chuggaboom holding a telescope.

"Penelope's on that boat straight across!" He told the rest of the Mob. "She's tied inside that fish net filled with crabs."

"Quick you guys, get to that boat!" Clyde barked at his men.

Chuggaboom dashed off to find the boat, where Penelope struggled to get free.

"Struggling is pointless, Pitstop." The Hooded Claw sneered. "It's not like you have a way to get out."

Penelope's struggles just caused the net to lower a bit.

"Actually, keep struggling. You'll lower down much quicker."

"Now that was a bad idea." Penelope thought to herself. "I'd better just stay still and hope that the Ant Hill Mob finds me."

The sounds of the giant octopus approaching made Penelope a bit nervous.

"Now I really hope they find me soon!" She gulped as the octopus's tentacle reached out of the water.

Clyde whistled to get Penelope's attention.

"Penelope, can you see us?" He called out.

"My boys! You made it after all!" Penelope felt happy to finally see her protectors again, but got worried when the octopus wrapped his tentacle around her. "Please hurry! It seems that little ole octopus will eat anything that smells like crabs."

"Don't worry Penelope, we're on our way!" Clyde shouted.

Once Chuggaboom drove off the surface, his wheels inflated as he landed in the water.

"Full speed ahead, Chuggaboom!"

Like a motorboat, Chuggaboom sped through the ocean to the boat and the squid that was in the process of pulling Penelope down.

"Look, Penelope's about to become octopus bait!" Yak-Yak giggled as the octopus pulled Penelope from the post of the Hooded Claw's boat.

"No she's not. I just happen to have a clamp that will make that sea creature drop Penelope." Pockets reached into his pockets and pulled out a large extendable pole with a clamp.

Pockets used the clamp to pinch the octopus's tentacle, causing the octopus to flinch in great pain and send Penelope flying as he let go of her.

"Nice work, Pockets!" Penelope called out to him. "Now do you think you can use that little ole clamp to catch little ole me?"

"Penelope, you read my mind!" Pockets smiled as he extended his pole and, with the rest of the Mob altogether, caught the net holding Penelope just in time.

"I'm safe!" Penelope took a breath of relief and grinned, the entire Ant Hill Mob pulling her into Chuggaboom with the pole. "Little ole me is safe! Now we'd better get back on land as soon as possible."

"Great job finding her, Chuggaboom." Clyde praised the Mob's loyal car. "Now get us back to land before that octopus strikes back!"

Chuggaboom obeyed and sped through the ocean to get the Ant Hill Mob and Penelope back on land.

"Blast!" The Hooded Claw growled in frustration, before he grinned a sinister grin. "But today's not over yet. There's still plenty more where that came from, and more dirty tricks up my sleeve."

Back on land, Penelope was no longer tied up in a fishnet and was shown talking to the Ant Hill Mob.

"I'm so thankful that you boys came to my rescue again." Penelope smiled as she hugged her heroes. "However did y'all find me? The Hooded Claw didn't give me a chance to tell you where I was."

"You know how Chuggaboom has been working these days." Clyde explained. "One sniff of one of your belongings sent him on the trail."

"Which one of my belongings was it?" Penelope was curious and couldn't help but ask.

"We used one of those soft pillows on your warm cozy bed." Softy sniffed.

"Yeah, warm…cozy…bed." Snoozy snored.

"P.U." Penelope pinched her nose at her own smell of the crabs she was trapped with. "I still smell like those dead crabs."

"Here, Penelope." Pockets took out Penelope's favorite perfume. "I happened to grab your favorite perfume."

"Thanks ever so ever." Penelope gave a grin as she sprayed herself with the perfume.

"And here's your cell phone, Penelope." Zippy gave Penelope her cell phone.

"Thank you Zippy! How did you find it?"

"I saw the Hooded Claw drop your phone, so I sped back to go get it." Zippy explained.

"Now that I've been rescued, you fellas have got to take me back to my car." Penelope told the Mob. "The Hooded Claw punctured one of my front wheels as his way of capturing me. I'll tell you where to go."

"Sure thing, Penelope." Clyde replied.

After Chuggaboom took Penelope and the Ant Hill Mob back to where Penelope's car was punctured, Clyde examined the flat tire.

"It looks like your tire's been indeed punctured." Clyde told Penelope. "There's no way you'll be able to drive with it."

He turned his head to Pockets.

"Do you have a spare tire, Pockets?"

"I always do." Pockets took out a new wheel and, after taking out the punctured tire, replaced it with the new tire.

"That should do it."

"Oh, thank you boys!" Penelope felt relieved and happy about her rescue and her car being fixed. "Now I can get to town."

"Are you sure you'll be you don't need us to come with you after what just happened?" Dum-Dum asked Penelope.

"Yeah, the Hooded Claw might come back for you again." Softy cried.

"Even so, I'll be extra cautious this time." Penelope reassured her protectors. "If it's one thing you boys tend to forget, it's that there have been moments where I've handled the Hooded Claw and his treacherous perils by myself."

"That is indeed true." Clyde nodded. "We believe in you. Go have your fun."

"I'm still determined to." Penelope gave the Ant Hill Mob one last hug and got into her car. "Goodbye, fellas! Thank y'all again!"

"Goodbye, Penelope!" The Ant Hill Mob called out as she drove away.

"Okay you guys." Clyde told his men. "Now that Penelope's been rescued, we'd better get back to setting up for the party. Don't worry; She just told us she'll be okay."

"Right, Clyde." The Rest of the Mob agreed before Chuggaboom took them home.


	3. A Pursuit Through the Woods

Having been rescued by the Ant Hill Mob, who went back to get things put together for her surprise party, Penelope continued to drive to the town she needed to meet Peter Perfect for lunch this afternoon. It was still morning, so she was eager to hit some shops and even booked a mani-pedi at her favorite nail salon.

"It sure feels good to get back on the road and soon into town." She smiled as she felt a soft breeze blow on her face and her hair as she drove. "First thing I'll do when I get there is head to my favorite salon to get my little ole nails all pretty."

She drove through an area outside of what looked like a patch of woods, the beautiful fall colors of bright yellow, gold, orange, and red beginning to replace the green of the trees.

Penelope admired the scenery of the woods she was driving by, when all of a sudden, she heard a man calling for help. The man's calls for help caused her to pull over to an open space on the side of the road and park her car there.

"I've got plans, but if someone's in need of help, I simply must go help." Penelope thought to herself.

"Help! Please help me!" The man's voice called out again. "I've been injured on the trail and I'm stranded here! Someone please hurry!"

"Whoever you are, I'm here to help you." Penelope called out herself, taking out a first-aid kit from her car. "Where are you?"

"I've been trapped in the ditch just outside of the woods!" The man's voice called out.

"Stay right where you are. I'm on my little ole way!"

What Penelope didn't know was that that the "voice" was coming from the Hooded Claw, who waited in the ditch with the Bully Brothers.

"She fell for it!" The Hooded Claw laughed before turning to his henchmen. "Stay down in that ditch, and the minute she approaches the ditch, grab her and bring her to me in the neck of the woods."

"Right, Claw." The Bully Brothers replied as they hid in the ditch.

"Hello?" Penelope shouted, approaching the ditch. "Here I am! I'll get you right out of that dreadful ditch and I'll tend to you and your injuries."

The minute she walked to the ditch, the Bully Brothers each grabbed one ankle, causing her to drop her first-aid kit and fall to the ground. She turned her head and gasped when she saw the Bully Brothers!

"Oh no! The Bully Brothers!"

"You guessed it!" The Bully Brothers answered in unison.

Penelope tried so hard to get her ankles free of the twin crooks' grasp, wriggling her legs and army-crawling to get away. None of those techniques of hers were working, when all of a sudden; she got an idea as to how to break free.

It took Penelope a few times since the Bully Brothers would not let her go, but she managed to reach for her first-aid kit, grabbed it, and hit the Bully Brothers on the head and other various parts of them, causing them to let her go. Once her hitting them with the first-aid kit caused the two fiends to let her go, Penelope quickly got up and dashed into the woods to escape.

The Hooded Claw was coming to see if his men succeeded in capturing Penelope, when he saw her break out and run away.

"What just happened?" He gave a stern look of displeasure.

"We had her for a second, but she hit us with a first aid kit." The first Bully Brother explained.

"Now she's gone." The other Bully Brother finished. "We'll never find her in here."

"We'll find her alright, even if it takes til her birthday next year. Come with me and we'll hunt her down."

"But Claw, look." The Bully Brothers pointed to a _No Hunting_ sign on one of the trees. "That sign says _No Hunting_."

"Don't be silly." The Hooded Claw grinned and gave an evil laugh. "It's only Pitstop we're hunting for, not a bunch of wild game."

At the same time, Penelope was struggling to find a place to keep warm from the cold fall morning air, but more importantly, a place to hide from the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers. She was searching through the woods for a safe place to hide, when all of a sudden; she heard footsteps on the leaves coming from the villains.

"Here, Pitstop." The Hooded Claw snuck through the woods, making small whistles to her as if he were beckoning a dog to come. "Pitstop, where are you?"

Penelope knew she had to act fast to get away. She snuck away as quickly, but as quietly as she could to get away from the Hooded Claw and to a safe place to hide until she'd be certain he was gone.

She snuck farther into the woods in search of a good hiding place. It was hard to find one, considering she was not big enough to fit into the holes and burrows some of the forest animals lived, and the Hooded Claw and Bully Brothers were on her tail. Finally, she found a small cavern and ran there.

The entrance of the cave had a large pile of fallen leaves in front of it, so Penelope shoved them out of the way to get in the cavern and put the pile back in its place when she entered the cavern. She crouched down and stayed out of sight inside, but looked out with caution in case the Hooded Claw was around.

Penelope once again heard the sounds of the Hooded Claw's footsteps crunching on the leaves.

"Here, Pitstop. Come on out." He kept sneaking through the woods with a beckoning whistle. "Here, Pitstop. Come out come out wherever you are."

Penelope looked out the cavern as the Hooded Claw was walking by, not noticing her. She swiftly moved her head back into the cavern as he walked by the cave. She poked her head out of the cavern to make sure the Hooded Claw was gone. And fortunately, he was nowhere to be seen, and neither were the Bully Brothers.

"Thank goodness." Penelope whispered as she left the cavern and took a breath of relief, still shivering a bit from the cold September morning air. "Now to see if there's a cabin somewhere in these woods. I need to warm up from this fall morning air."

While Penelope took off to find a cabin in the woods, and hopefully someone in that cabin kind enough to let her stay and get warm, a frustrated Hooded Claw was still searching for Penelope.

"Blast." He snarled. "Pitstop's just playing hard to get. She's got to be somewhere in these woods. It's not like she vanished into thin air."

He began to look in every spot he could find in the woods, when all of a sudden, he heard a yell coming from Penelope. Once he heard Penelope's shrieks of distress, he took off with evil joy.

It turned out that the Bully Brothers had found Penelope in the woods and captured her. One Bully Brother carried her by her upper body and the other Bully Brother held both her legs together.

"Just who do you think you are!? Treating a lady like this on her birthday!?" Penelope scowled at them and tried to get free. "Put me down you big ole lummoxes!"

"Well, well, well. It's like they always say, if at first you don't succeed, try, try again..." The Hooded Claw grinned. "And they weren't kidding. Thank you Bully Brothers. There's a sinister surprise awaiting our lovely birthday girl in these woods, so follow me."

He gave another evil laugh as he and the Bully Brothers made off with Penelope in the woods.


	4. Sufferin' Sawmills! Penelope Needs Help!

The Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers had taken Penelope to an old abandoned sawmill in the woods that no one had ever visited for a very long time. After they tied her to a large log, they lifted the log and rested it on top of the sawmill's conveyor belt.

"I never got a chance to ask, Claw." Penelope wanted to know where she was. "What is this little ole place?"

"This Pitstop, is an old abandoned sawmill that resides in this very neck of the woods." The Hooded Claw explained. "No one has ever used this place for a number of decades, but prior to capturing you the Bully Brothers and I cleaned and dusted this place for just the occasion. Not just your birthday, but the first time in so long that anyone's even set foot in this sawmill."

"If you look across and up above, suspended above the switch is a small ball that, although it looks like a typical toy bouncy ball in appearance, is actually heavier and harder than a rock." He explained his peril, pointing to a small steel ball that was tied to the switch of the conveyor belt and held up by rope tied to the ceiling. "Notice too, that there is a hungry rat climbing the rope holding the ceiling and the ball. When he gnaws that rope, the ball will drop and activate the switch, sending the conveyor belt that the log you are tied to rests upon to that giant saw blade, splitting you in two!"

The Hooded Claw gave an evil laugh after his explanation.

"You can't just pull the lever yourself?" Penelope raised her brow.

"I could, but how's that any fun? Sayonara, Penelope!"

With that, the Hooded Claw dashed off with the Bully Brothers, leaving poor Penelope bound to the log and awaiting her splintering doom. While the rat was chewing on the rope tied to the ceiling and holding the steel ball up, Penelope decided to take advantage of that time by attempting to figure out a plan.

Despite her hands being tied up tightly to her sides on the giant log, Penelope moved them to get in her pocket in hopes that she could find something to get her out of this dreaded trap and back on the road. She searched her pockets really good, but unfortunately, she was unable to find anything in there.

"Oh dear, I'd use my little ole nail file to get myself free, but it's in my purse, and my purse is in my car." Penelope worried. "Oh what is poor little ole me going to do?"

The rat finished chewing up the rope and, snap! The rope fell along with the steel ball and pulled down the switch, activating the conveyor belt and moving the log Penelope was tied to the large, loud spinning saw blade.

At this point Penelope began to feel even more edgy. She was trying so hard to be brave, but she was moving closer and closer to the spinning saw blade, and even if anyone else was around in the woods (which she doubted), she could cry for help, but the saw blade was so loud that nobody would be able to hear her over it. It was bad enough that she could barely hear anything over the roaring saw blade herself.

"So this is how my birthday ends, and it's still morning." Penelope shut her eyes tight as she got even closer to the saw blade.

Before that blade could saw her and the log she was bound to in half, it suddenly stopped. The very minute it stopped, Penelope opened her eyes, took a deep breath and looked around, wondering how that was even possible. That saw blade was so terribly loud, that she didn't hear anyone come in, nor did she see anyone come in and stop the conveyor belt.

"Are you alright, miss?" Asked a thick but kind male voice belonging to a big, muscle-bound lumberjack, a beaver with a yellow helmet, gloves and scarf by his side as he walked to Penelope.

"Yes, I'm alright now, but I could've never seen the rest of my birthday had the blade not stopped before it could saw me in half and…"

It was then that Penelope recognized her rescuer, a friend and competitor of hers in the Wacky Races.

"Why Rufus Ruffcut, and Sawtooth!" Penelope smiled.

"Why Penelope!" Rufus began to recognize who he rescued himself. "What a pleasure to see you again."

"It's a pleasure to see you, too. Did you save me from that horrible little ole saw blade?"

"Yes m'am! You may not have seen or heard me and Sawtooth coming in but we ran in and I pulled the switch and stopped the conveyor belt." Rufus told Penelope.

"I certainly didn't hear you, Rufus. That blade was so loud; I'm surprised that I can still hear."

From there, Rufus lifted the log Penelope was tied to off the conveyor belt and placed the log back on the floor with Penelope still standing.

"Stay where you are, I'll have Sawtooth get you untied."

Sawtooth nodded, went behind the log and used his teeth to get the ropes off Penelope.

"Thank you ever so ever!" Penelope felt joy and pure relief to have been rescued again. "Little ole me safe and free again!"

But she shivered and felt cold from the fall morning air again.

"But I'm still freezing. This cold sawmill is just making it worse."

"Come with me, Penelope." Rufus offered to take Penelope to his cabin home in the woods. "I'll take you to my home and I'll get the fireside going so you can warm up. Would you like to come?"

"I would love to Rufus. If I stay here any longer I'll just get colder. Let's go." Penelope replied as she and Rufus headed out of the sawmill.

A few moments later, Rufus, Sawtooth and Penelope were now seen at Rufus's cabin. While the fireplace was blazing the perfect amount of heat for Penelope, who sat by the fire in a cozy armchair with a warm blanket wrapped around her shoulders and held Sawtooth in her lap and pet him, Rufus was preparing a hot drink for her.

"That ought to do it." He grinned as the kettle whistled, indicating that it was hot enough to be poured.

Rufus took the kettle, poured hot apple cider into a mug, carefully carried the mug to the armchair Penelope sat in, and, after Sawtooth left Penelope's lap, gave the hot cider to Penelope.

"Here, Penelope. Be careful with that now." Rufus said while Penelope slowly took her drink. "Some fresh hot apple cider, since it's about that time of year again."

He and Penelope chuckled.

"Indeed it is." Penelope carefully took a sip of her cider. "What I could go for is a nice long soak in a hot tub or a bubble bath. But I'm starting to warm up some. Thank you again."

"It was my pleasure, miss Penelope."

"How did y'all know where I was and what was happening to me?" Penelope wondered.

"I was in these woods doing what I do best, which is of course chopping wood." Rufus began to explain. "Right in the middle of a chop so Sawtooth and I could collect some more wood for the fire, I heard the loud roar of the saw blade coming from the old saw mill. No one has ever been in that saw mill for a very long time, so we were curious to see who was using it after all those long years and followed the sound of the saw blade straight there. Once I saw you all tied up and heading for the blade, I knew I had to act fast, so I ran to the switch and pulled it up, thus stopping that conveyor belt."

"Thank heavens you were out and about in the woods during this time."

"Yeah, otherwise you could've been split in two. Who did that to you anyway?"

"Well, Rufus." Penelope answered. "You know all those stories I keep telling you and the other Wacky Racers about my encounters with my archenemy the Hooded Claw?"

"I do remember."

"Well he captured me while I was on my way into another town and tried to do me in again." Penelope told him. "And there's something about him that stands out. Instead of just simply pulling the switch down with his hand like another villain would do, he had to do this in an elaborate complicated way."

"How often do you deal with him?" Rufus asked Penelope.

"Quite an awful lot." Penelope sighed.

"You know Penelope." Rufus suggested. "If he won't stop trying to pursue you to do these things to you, you need to call the authorities. You can't just let him get away with this."

"I know I should, but at least I have the Ant Hill Mob to protect me and make sure I'm safe and well-taken care of." Penelope sighed and then smiled. "Even if they're not around, and I know they can't always be around, there have been many times, and there still are many times where I have managed my way out of the Hooded Claw, the Bully Brothers, and the perils they've put me in on my own."

"That is true, and not to mention good ole Peter Perfect's also there to look out for you." Rufus pointed out.

"Yes, he's rescued me from the Hooded Claw's evil clutches a lot, too." Penelope remembered a few moments Peter saved her. "Especially when he did so last week. It was ever so romantic."

"It's a good thing there are other people like the Ant Hill Mob and Pete to look out for you." Rufus smiled as Penelope stroked Sawtooth. "You're a nice beautiful young girl, and everyone loves you. It's a shame someone like the Hooded Claw keeps doing this to you."

"Yes, but I just know I'll prevail." Penelope showed a positive attitude. "I'm not letting him ruin my birthday."

"That's the spirit, Penelope." Rufus gave her a gentle pat on her back.

"Now that I'm all warmed up, I simply must get going." Penelope got up and went to say goodbye to Rufus and Sawtooth. "Thank y'all so much for rescuing me and for letting me stay in your home to get warm. Your little ole cabin is just grand and I'm glad I got a chance to see it."

"Oh, you're welcome, miss Penelope." Rufus replied. "I'm glad that Sawtooth and I saved your life and that we got a chance to see you, and happy birthday, Penelope. Do you have any plans?"

"I'm just on my way into town, where Peter and I will be meeting for lunch." Penelope told him her birthday plans. "Before I meet him, though, I'll be getting a little ole mani-pedi at my favorite salon. If I don't get going, I'll be late."

"Sounds like a great way to spend your birthday. Go enjoy yourself now, Penelope."

"I will! Goodbye, Rufus!" Penelope told him as she walked out the cabin door and on her way out of the woods. "And thank y'all again!"

"Goodbye Penelope!" Rufus called out. "Have a great day!"

As Penelope headed out of the woods, Rufus and Sawtooth watched on with smiles.

"Such a nice girl she is." Rufus thought. "With someone like the Hooded Claw on her tail all the time, I hope she'll be safe."


	5. A Gruesome Getaway

After her most recent peril and being rescued by Rufus Ruffcut and Sawtooth, Penelope made her way out of the woods and back to her car. From there, she continued her journey into town so she could get to the salon.

The end of the woods soon led Penelope to a small village. As Penelope drove, she looked with a smile at the array of small houses, barns, shops, schools, a fountain, and a beautiful white church. Just the entire village itself looked beautiful with all the fall colors arriving.

"My, what a cute and beautiful little ole village." Penelope breathed in the fall air as she kept driving through the village. "And it's ever so peaceful, especially at this time of day. I sure picked a great day to drive through here."

Before long, Penelope realized she was running out of gas.

"Oh dear, if I run out of gas, I'll never get where I need to be." She thought before she saw a sign ahead of her that read _Nearest Gas Station, Turn Right_.

"Thank goodness that little ole sign was here. I do hope the gas in this village isn't too expensive."

After Penelope turned right just like the sign told her, she made a discovery that she did not like one bit. That sign did not lead her to any gas station. Instead, it led her to a dark, shady, empty area in the village.

"I do declare, this place doesn't look like any gas station, nor does it look like a place for a gas station in general." Penelope looked around. "Something funny's going on, and I don't like it one little ole bit."

"Not just something, but someone, Pitstop." Said a too familiar voice followed by an evil laugh.

It was the Hooded Claw, followed by the Bully Brothers, coming out of the shadows of the village area.

"Not you again, you fiend!" Penelope cried.

"Yes, me again." The Hooded Claw grinned and laughed. "The same exact man who brought you here with that phony sign."

"I should've known that sign would lead me nowhere."

"Oh that sign led you somewhere." The Hooded Claw sneered as the Bully Brothers grabbed her on each side and brought her to the back of a vehicle. "That somewhere being your doom!"

A few moments later, at an old abandoned spooky-looking house, the Hooded Claw had a hold of Penelope's arm in a room that had no windows.

"Are you familiar with the old iron maiden device, Pitstop?" The Hooded Claw asked Penelope.

"I learned about in my history class in high school." Penelope replied.

"Well this peril is a similar approach to the iron maiden coffin used in medieval times." The Hooded Claw explained, pointing to a timer next to a wall of spikes. "Another fun fact about it is that it is also time activated. In as little as sixty seconds, that wall of sharp, steel spikes will move forward toward you. Once those spikes have moved and puncture you, you my dear will be the very first ghost to haunt this haunted house!"

The Hooded Claw laughed evilly again.

Something sparked Penelope's mind.

"I'm surprised you haven't tied me up yet." She told the Hooded Claw.

"There's no need to for this trap." The Hooded Claw replied. "You don't have any way of escaping, not a window in sight. Even if there were any, I'm sure you'd rather not risk spending the rest of your birthday in the emergency room with a broken arm, would you?"

"I'd rather not spend my birthday like that. I always feel sorry for sick and hurt patients who have to spend their birthday in the hospital."

"My thought exactly." The Hooded Claw once again broke into laughter. "I must get going, Pitstop. Remember, there's only less than sixty seconds before those spikes come moving towards you. Time's a ticking!"

The Hooded Claw dashed out of the room and locked the door, leaving Penelope with now twenty seconds on the timer before the spikes would move forward.

"Only twenty seconds, what is little ole me to do?" Penelope thought as the timer now came to ten seconds.

Ten seconds passed, and soon the wall of spikes began to move forward. The spikes moved slowly at first, but then the speed increased.

How could Penelope possibly escape the spikes approaching her if she has no way of escaping? She may not have been tied up for this peril like she usually was, but she couldn't even run away.

"How can I possibly get out?" Penelope looked at the moving spikes and the corners of the area of the room she was trapped in, trying to see how she could survive her predicament.

All of a sudden, Penelope heard the sounds of something slamming on the ceiling. The sounds of the slamming on the ceiling caused Penelope's eyes to widen with worry. Could the Hooded Claw be trying to smash her? Maybe the Bully Brothers are trying to smash her, too? Either way, the sounds did not make Penelope feel any safer, so she ran to the other corner to get away from the about-to-fall ceiling.

"Hey-elp!" Penelope yelled, cowering in fear as the spikes kept moving and the ceiling started cracking. "Someone please hey-elp!"

The ceiling did crash down in the center of the area Penelope was trapped in, and fortunately nowhere near Penelope, who got up from her cowering position. Out from the giant ceiling hole popped out a large character resembling a humanoid Frankenstein's monster, and a smaller purple skinned vampire.

Penelope recognized who the two characters were: It was the Gruesome Twosome, otherwise known as Big Gruesome and Little Gruesome, who were also friends and competitors of hers in the Wacky Races.

"Run to us, miss." Said Little Gruesome as Big Gruesome grabbed his legs and lowered him down. "We'll grab you."

As the spikes started getting even closer to Penelope, she ran from her corner and to the Gruesomes. Little Gruesome took Penelope's hands and held them tightly as Big Gruesome pulled them both up into the hole just in time before the spikes could make contact with Penelope.

After the Gruesomes gently set Penelope down on the ceiling ground, Penelope took a breath of relief and took one look at her rescuers.

"The Gruesomes! Thank y'all for rescuing me from those moving spikes." Penelope smiled. "How did you fellas know where I was and the trap that was in that room?"

"We were asleep when we heard the sound of the wall moving." Little Gruesome explained.

"And it sounded like something wasn't right." Finished Big Gruesome.

"It most certainly wasn't right, Gruesomes." Penelope nodded her head in agreement to what Big Gruesome said. "I'm glad you were here during my perilous plight, otherwise I could've been the first ghost to haunt this haunted place."

"You wouldn't be the first ghost to haunt our happy home." Said Little Gruesome.

"Who's responsible for breaking into our humble haunted home to do that to you?" Big Gruesome asked Penelope.

"Did you just say that this here place is your little ole home?" Penelope asked back before she could explain her predicament.

"Yes, miss Penelope." Big Gruesome answered.

"It's just the place for happy haunts and spooks!" Little Gruesome grinned before chuckling.

"It sure looks like it, too." Penelope smiled, before getting back on the subject. "Now, about how I got into this peril and who put me in that peril, do you boys know the Hooded Claw from what I tell you about my adventures?"

"Not in person, my dear." Big Gruesome shook his head. "Only in your stories."

"Well believe me, Gruesomes. They're not just stories." Penelope explained. "The Hooded Claw and the traps he always puts me in are real. He lured me into an empty spot of this village and then took me here, where, as you have seen of course, he locked me in a room where a wall of spikes was moving toward me as yet another attempt to do away with me."

All of a sudden, Penelope and the Gruesomes heard the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Come with me, Bully Brothers." The heroes heard the Hooded Claw's voice, filling Penelope with worry again. "I want to see if that wall succeeded in puncturing holes in our Penelope."

"Oh dear." Penelope whispered. "That's the Hooded Claw I'm always talking about, Gruesomes. He's coming back for little ole me. And his evil henchmen, the Bully Brothers are with him. What shall we do?"

"Quick, hide in that coffin, Miss Penelope." Little Gruesome pointed to one of the coffins that rested in the area.

"We'll make them never want to come back." Big Gruesome finished.

"Thank you ever so ever Gruesomes." Penelope smiled as she climbed into the coffin and laid on her back in it. "But how will y'all manage that?"

"With a little help from our friends." Little Gruesome chuckled.

The Bully Brothers were helping the Hooded Claw when they heard the sound of doors creaking.

"Did you hear that?" Said one Bully Brother.

"Yeah, and I don't like it." The other Bully Brother gulped.

The sounds of ghosts moaning made the Bully Brothers shiver.

"Boss!" They cried. "This place has ghosts here! We just heard them!"

"Don't be ridiculous." The Hooded Claw chuckled. "There are no such things as ghosts."

The sounds of moaning ghosts filled the room and scared the Bully Brothers again. The Hooded Claw, however, showed no signs of fear.

"There they are again!" The Bully Brothers clung to their boss in fear. "We've gotta get out of here!"

"Will you yellow-bellied morons get off me!?" The Hooded Claw broke the Bully Brothers' locked arms from around his body and shoved them away. "I'm sure it was just the wind. And we're not going anyplace! Not until we see if that wall of spikes has done Penelope in!"

"Claw, what if it doesn't?" The Claw's henchmen asked.

"Then I'll have something else planned for her! Now come on!"

The Bully Brothers once more heard ghosts moaning again.

"Claw, please let us leave!" The Bully Brothers begged.

"What part of no do you clods not understand!?" The Hooded Claw was just starting to get irritated. "There are no ghosts around here!"

Behind the Hooded Claw and unknown to him, a ghost slowly appeared down through the ceiling.

"Claw, look!" The Bully Brothers pointed with shivers.

"What now!?" The Hooded Claw turned around in an annoyed manner that quickly turned to a nervous expression when he saw the ghost.

"Boo!" The ghost said.

The Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers screamed with fear and ran to another area of the house, only to have another ghost pop out and scare them.

"Now do you believe us, Claw?" The Bully Brothers asked the Hooded Claw as they ran.

"Yes, I believe you! Are you happy!?" The Hooded Claw replied as he and his men ran into a closet.

After they shut the closet door behind them, the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers took breaths of relief. Suddenly, they heard the sound of bones rattling. The Hooded Claw felt someone tapping his shoulder.

"Will you Bully Brothers stop tapping me?" He growled.

"What are you talking about Claw?" The Bully Brothers replied. "It wasn't us."

They heard rapid, maniacal laughter behind them. The Hooded Claw took out a flashlight and shined it on a laughing skeleton. The villains shivered in fright before they ran out of the closet.

The villains kept running when a spider hanging from a web landed on the Hooded Claw's head.

"Get it off me!" The Hooded Claw tried to get the spider off his head.

A witch approached the villains with an evil laugh.

"A hex on you my pretties." Said the witch. "A hex on you!"

"I certainly don't want any hex!" The Hooded Claw gulped. "Keep running, Bully Brothers!"

"Right!" The Bully Brothers replied as they and their boss dashed off upstairs.

When the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers reached the attic, they heard growling. The Hooded Claw shined his flashlight on the Gruesomes' snarling green dragon, who breathed fire that burned the villains' rears, causing them to dash out the window into a small pond by the house.

Unfortunately for them, out of the pond came a serpent that hissed at them. The Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers jumped up and dashed out of the pond with fear. After they left the pond, the Gruesomes popped out from behind a tree and scared them.

Penelope opened the coffin and climbed out of it. She looked out the window and watched the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers running away.

"Blast!" The Hooded Claw yelled as he and his men ran from the haunted house.

Penelope laughed as she saw the villains leaving the place in fear and as the Gruesomes came to her.

"Thank you ever so ever for protecting me Gruesomes." Penelope hugged the Gruesomes, still laughing. "You certainly gave the Hooded Claw what he deserves!"

"You're welcome, Miss Penelope." Big Gruesome replied.

"That should teach him not to invade our home." Little Gruesome said.

"It was a pleasure to see you fellas again." Penelope smiled. "But I need to get going. After all, it is my birthday."

"What a pleasure to see you, too, madam." Little Gruesome said.

"Happy birthday, Miss Penelope." Big Gruesome told Penelope as she began to leave.

"Thank y'all Gruesomes!" Penelope called out, blowing the Gruesome Twosome a kiss. "Goodbye! I'll see y'all again soon!"

"Goodbye, Penelope!" The Gruesomes waved goodbye.

As soon as Penelope left the house, Penelope ran to the area where the Hooded Claw had lured her to previously, went into her car, and drove away through the village.


	6. Hard Rock Peril

Now that Penelope was once again safe from the Hooded Claw's treacherous trap, and after getting the gas her car needed at a local gas station in the village, she made her way through the village and before long; the highway took her through what looked like a mountain area.

Of all the sights of the areas Penelope had driven through, this one was starting to become her favorite. The mountains and the fall colors on the trees were just the perfect mix, and the view of them and the mountain area's overall atmosphere was so serene.

Well, the atmosphere was serene until the shriek of a wild animal in distress filled Penelope's ears.

"Oh dear." Penelope thought. "From that awful sound, some poor little ole critter must be hurt or trapped. I don't know how much longer the exit from this little ole highway is. Perhaps there might be a place for me to park and rescue this helpless creature."

Luckily, there was an open spot on the side of the highway lane Penelope was in, just ahead of her. Being careful (since she was, after all, still on a highway), Penelope pulled over to the open spot of the highway and followed the call of the wild animal in need.

"Hang on, little fella!" Penelope called as she ran into the wooded area of the mountains. "Here I come!"

Penelope rushed through the woods and hop scotched over skipping stones of the brooks and creeks, hoping that she was not too late to save the forest animal's life. Whatever kind of animal it was, Penelope loved all animals too much to just let them suffer and was determined to help.

Penelope stopped to catch her breath and wipe her brow when she heard the cry of the animal closer to her. She ran straight ahead another mile and then froze in her tracks at a sight.

She finally discovered that the cry of distress belonged to a baby squirrel that was trapped in a small cage in the woods. Penelope walked and knelt down very slowly to the cage so she wouldn't frighten the squirrel and took one good look.

"So that's where all the noise in these here mountains came from." She thought before she turned her attention to the trapped little squirrel, who looked at her with a sad, frightened face.

"Oh, you poor sweet little ole darling." Penelope told the squirrel in a soft, comforting voice. "There now, sweetie. I'm not going to hurt you. I don't know who did this to you but don't be scared little guy. I'll have y'all out of this horrible trap in no time. I know I shouldn't stick my fingers in cages, but I want you to earn my trust so I can rescue you."

Penelope slowly placed her finger through the cage bar to stroke the squirrel's fur. She was surprised that he didn't bite her in fear. Instead, he just nuzzled her finger and let her pet him, indicating that he indeed earned her trust.

"Yes, you can trust me. I'm here to help you." Penelope smiled. "You're ever so cute little guy. Don't go away now, sugar. It's time I set you free."

Penelope ran her hands through her beautiful blonde hair and pulled out a bobby pin.

"I don't have any keys, but this should hopefully do the trick." Penelope inserted her bobby pin into the keyhole of the lock on the trap's door and turned it side-to-side until she successfully unlocked the lock.

After she removed the lock and tossed it aside, Penelope opened the trap's door, and out came the squirrel running into her hands.

"You're free little fella!" Penelope smiled as she held the squirrel in both hands, the squirrel nuzzling her cheek.

The squirrel clicked his teeth and chattered in happiness and gratitude.

"Oh, you're welcome little guy." Penelope stroked his fur one last time. "I hope your family's not too far away, darling. Now that you're safe, you may look for them."

She then turned her head and found two adult squirrels.

"Are these your parents?" Penelope asked the squirrel.

The squirrel happily ran to his family.

"I'll take that as a yes." Penelope watched the squirrel reunite with his mother and father with a warm smile on her face.

The squirrel chattered at Penelope before he left.

"Goodbye, my little bushy-tailed friend!" Penelope waved goodbye. "Y'all be careful now!"

Out of the blue, Penelope was scooped up by a large butterfly net. As a hand sealed her in the butterfly net, her eyes widened when she heard evil laughter and discovered who her captor was.

"Peekaboo! I finally caught you!" Said a voice Penelope unfortunately knew too well.

"The Hooded Claw!" Penelope gasped. "I might've figured you'd be around."

"Pitstop, until I finally succeed in doing you in, I'm always going to be around." The Hooded Claw grinned as he held the net and looked at his netted-up captive. "I also see that you rescued my bait animal. I know how much you can't resist the urge to rescue animals!"

"It was you who trapped that poor little ole baby squirrel!?" Penelope scowled at him. "You cad!"

"Go ahead, report me to PETA you pretty little tree-hugger." The Hooded Claw laughed.

"I suppose y'all hatched up an evil plan for me in these mountains."

"I sure did, Pitstop. But the more appropriate term is on the mountains."

"What could it be?" Penelope asked.

"That, oh you'll see my dear." The Hooded Claw replied as he dashed off through the woods with the net holding Penelope. "You'll see."

Shortly after, Penelope was now seen suspended from the edge of a cliff with rope around her waist, her hands and feet not restrained. The Hooded Claw was spreading honey on rope holding Penelope with a butter knife.

"What is your evil peril plan now, and what's with that honey?" Penelope wondered, obviously looking unhappy to be in peril again on her birthday.

"About this evil peril plan and the honey, this peril may seem like an easy-peezy-lemon-squeezy peril, but it's still very effective." The Hooded Claw started his explanation. "The honey I'm smearing on the rope that's holding you is for an army of red fire ants! The smell of the honey will attract the fire ants and lure them out of their ant hill nearby and to the honey-covered spot on your rope. Once they chew through the rope, it will snap, and send you falling heaven knows how many feet from the cliff; and you'll be crushed by that large pile of sharp, jagged rocks!"

The Hooded Claw gave an evil laugh.

"You Pitstop, will end up with more than just a few scratches!"

All Penelope did was give him a dirty look, her hands on her hips.

"Can't you show one ounce of gratitude Penelope?" The Hooded Claw sneered. "My original plan was to coat you head-and-hair-to-toe with this honey and feed you alive to the army of fire ants, but decided it was too simple."

"And I am thankful that didn't happen." Penelope replied casually. "Honey is hard to wash out, at least from my experience from making DIY hair and face treatments."

"It won't be long before those fire ants catch the sweet aroma of the honey." The Hooded Claw laughed. "Farewell, Pitstop. Enjoy your sweet trap while you can!"

"By sweet, I think y'all mean bittersweet."

The Hooded Claw dashed off with another evil laugh, leaving Penelope hanging, and helplessly awaiting her rocky fate.

"Okay, Penelope, this is your birthday. Only positive thoughts are allowed." Penelope told herself. "Maybe those ants won't come for the honey."

Unfortunately for Penelope, an army of red fire ants came marching out of their ant hill to search for the source of the honey's sweet smell. Penelope saw the ants approaching and looked down at the jagged rocks below.

"This is the toughest peril I've faced today, and the day's not even over yet. How will I get out of this one?" Penelope thought with worry as she saw the fire ants chewing away at the rope.

Suddenly, she heard what sounded like someone grunting and mumbling. Who was it?

Two hairy twin cavemen walked over to the cliff and were stunned to see Penelope hanging by her waist from the cliff. Penelope looked over and recognized who the two cavemen were.

"My Wacky Races friends! Slag Brothers Rock and Gravel!" Penelope was happy to see the Slag Brothers. "Would you fellas be so kind as to save me from this dreadful fate?"

The Slag Brothers took one look at the fire ants chewing the rope holding Penelope and down at the pile of sharp rocks that she was doomed to fall in.

"Ragga-radda, let's go!" Rock told Gravel.

"Rah, will do!" Gravel replied.

The Slag Brothers dashed downward from the cliff.

"Wait, where are you boys going?" Penelope was confused and worried when the Slags left and when she took another look at the ants chewing at the honey.

As a result of the ants chewing at the honey on the rope, it was staring to get weaker.

The Slag Brothers looked at the jagged rocks and spoke to each other in grunts and mumbles.

"Rah, now we save Penelope." Said Rock before he and Gravel used their clubs to bash the rocks.

From the looks of it, the Slag Brothers smoothed the jagged rocks into a giant square with a deep pit.

"Water, water!" Both Slag Brothers yelled as they ran to grab a large hose that was around here to fill the pit. How a giant hose could possibly be in a place like this mountain area Penelope had no clue, but it didn't matter.

"I get it." Penelope smiled at the Slags filling the pit with water despite the rope finally getting even weaker. "You boys are gonna make me a little ole swimming pool for me to safely land in! Make it good and deep!"

The rope suddenly snapped, and down came Penelope.

"Rah, hurry! Hurry!" Rock cried out as the pit was still filling with water.

"Unga-bunga, stop the water." Gravel said as the pit filled the right amount of water for Penelope to land in.

While the Slag Brothers raced to turn the hose of, Penelope formed a graceful swan-diving position and landed in the Slag Brothers' rock pool without any problem or injury.

"Unga-bunga, where are you Penelope?" Rock wondered.

Penelope rose up from the water and took a breath. She used a nail file to cut the rope around her waist and tossed the rope aside before leaving the pool.

"Unga-bung, are you alright?" Gravel asked Penelope.

"Yes, I'm alright, fellas." Penelope replied with a smile that showed thankfulness. "Thank you boys for rescuing little ole me from falling and ending up with more than just scratches. How did y'all find me here?"

"Ragga-radda us Slags wandered here." Rock answered.

"And found you hanging from cliff and going to fall." Gravel finished.

"Rah, who did that to you?" Rock asked Penelope.

"It was my archenemy, the Hooded Claw who did this to me." Penelope explained. "Even on my birthday he still continues to try to do me in. Do you fellas recall the things I tell you about him and his constant perils?"

Both Rock and Gravel nodded.

"Unga-bunga the Hooded Claw evil!" Said Rock.

"And no good!" Gravel agreed.

"If you Slags ever see him and his henchmen, the Bully Brothers, you have my little ole permission to bash them with your clubs." Penelope joked with a wink.

"Now come with me, fellas. I have something for you."

The Slag Brothers led Penelope through the mountain area and back to her car, where Penelope was now seen getting something from her car. The Slag Brothers stood by side-to-side.

"As a token of my gratitude for rescuing me, and so I can tell you boys apart more easily, here." Penelope pulled out an orange vest and a blue vest that she knitted herself. "These are for you, Slags. Which one of you is Rock?"

Rock, on the right side, raised his club.

"Alright, then." Penelope said as she gave Rock the orange vest.

"So then you're Gravel." Penelope went to Gravel on the left and gave him the blue vest.

"Unga-bunga, right." Gravel nodded as Penelope helped him in his vest.

Penelope stood back and smiled at the sight of Rock and Gravel in their new vests.

"Oh my! You fellas just look so wonderful!" Penelope took a full-length mirror from her car and brought it to the Slags. "And the colors suit you so nicely!"

The Slags took a look at themselves in their vests in the mirror.

"Unga looking good!" Rock sounded happy.

"Thank you Penelope." Gravel said as he and Rock kept looking at their reflections.

"You're welcome, Slags." Penelope smiled and hugged the Slag Brothers. "I'm so glad you like your new little ole vests. I have to leave now, boys. It's my birthday and I gotta get to town fast. I'll see y'all later!"

"Unga-bunga, bye-bye Penelope!" The Slag Brothers told Penelope as she got in her car. "Happy Birthday!"

"Thank y'all Slags!" Penelope called back while she started her car. "Take care now."

While the Slag Brothers waved goodbye, Penelope made it back on the highway and was on her way into town for real!


	7. Penelope in a Hive of Trouble

After her recent experiences with the Hooded Claw's perils and after some time on the highway, Penelope got off the highway exit and finally made her way into town.

"I finally made it!" Penelope smiled as she drove through town in search of the salon she had her mani-pedi appointment at. "Now where is that salon?"

It wasn't long before Penelope found the salon. She parked her car and ran inside, where she looked at the salon's wall clock.

"Thank goodness! I made it on time!" Penelope said to herself before she came to a female salon worker.

"Excuse me. I'm here for a little ole mani-pedi." She told the salon worker. "Miss Penelope Pitstop is my name."

"Oh, yes, Miss Pitstop." The salon worker replied. "You're here just in time! I trust you have your coupons with you?"

"Yes ma'am." Penelope took out two coupons from her purse and then looked at herself in a mirror next to her. "Could you also fit an eyebrow wax into my appointment? I did not realize I was due for one until now."

"Absolutely, Miss Pitstop, right this way." The salon worker led Penelope to a chair.

Once Penelope made herself comfortable in the salon chair, the salon worker bent the back of the chair a bit and got started on waxing Penelope's eyebrows.

For Penelope, the waxing process just barely hurt, as she was used to getting her eyebrows waxed every few weeks when it was necessary. Still, her eyebrows were a bit red and sore, but the salon worker said the redness wouldn't last long.

After the salon worker applied cream to Penelope's eyebrows, she led her to one of the salon's pedicure chairs. As the water in the foot tub filled and another salon worker added sea salt to the water, Penelope took a breath and relaxed against the vibrating chair.

She was no doubt happy that she decided to go get a mani-pedi at this salon. It gave her lots of time to relax after all those perils the Hooded Claw placed her in. Not only that, but the staff at the salon was very friendly to Penelope and enjoyed getting into conversations with her, for the most part, conversations about her latest birthday misadventures.

Moments later, both Penelope's toe and fingernails had been painted a beautiful shade of pink that wasn't too dark or light. It was a bubblegum-like color. She sported pink pedicure slippers that looked like flip-flops and she placed each hand into a special hand-dryer.

"Thank you ever so ever for your wonderful little ole service!" Penelope praised the salon staff with a smile that showed both gratitude and satisfaction with her gorgeous pink nails.

"I'm glad we could provide such service, Miss Pitstop." The salon worker told Penelope, smiling at her as well. "Anything to keep our customers happy!"

"You certainly made me happy, ma'am, which is what I need on my birthday!"

All of a sudden, three men, two of them identical looking, resembling hairdressers or stylists appeared out of nowhere.

"Miss Penelope Pitstop?" One of the hairdressers addressed Penelope.

"Why yes, it's me." Penelope replied. "Who are you two and how may I be of service?"

"We're employed at a nearby hair salon in this town." Said the hairdresser."We happened to see you walking in here when we noticed you had a hair problem."

"A hair problem?" Penelope gasped as she grabbed some strands of her hair and looked at them. "What could possibly be wrong with my hair?"

"Oh, nothing serious." The main hairdresser reassured Penelope.

"Except some split ends." Said one of the identical looking hairdressers.

"And some frizz." The second identical looking hairdresser finished.

"Also, your hair's getting flat and losing its curl." Said the main hairdresser.

"Oh dear." Penelope looked at herself in a handheld mirror. "Are you sure my hair's that bad."

"Now, now Miss Pitstop. My fellow stylists and I can fix these hair flaws in a flash." The main hairdresser told Penelope. "All you have to do is come with us and we'll take you to our salon and get your hair rejuvenated!"

"I would appreciate that dearly! Can I pay for my mani-pedi first before I leave?"

"Do what you must, Madame." The main hairdresser said.

"Thank y'all." Penelope told the hairdressers as she took out a debit card from her purse and gave it to the salon worker.

"Thank you again for your wonderful services." Penelope told the salon worker. "I am very satisfied."

"We are glad we could give you such satisfaction on your birthday." The salon worker smiled.

"Is it really your birthday, miss Pitstop?" The main hairdresser asked.

"Why yes it is."

"Well then what are we waiting for?" The main hairdresser he led his fellow stylists and Penelope out the salon doors. "We would be thrilled to provide such special beauty treatment on a lovely lady's birthday!"

"Goodbye! Thank y'all again!" Penelope waved goodbye to the salon workers.

The salon workers waved back and said their goodbyes as well, wishing Penelope a happy birthday.

As Penelope followed the hairdressers, confusion struck her as she saw that she was not being led to any place meant for hair treatment. Instead, the hairdressers brought her to an empty alley in town.

"Alright men, this is the spot." Said the main hairdresser. "Now let's give our pretty birthday girl the special treatment."

Before Penelope could say anything, the two identical looking hairdressers took out their own strands of rope and tied her up, and it was then that she realized what was truly going on.

"This is certainly no special treatment, and you're certainly no hairdressers if you brought me to this little ole alley and tied me up like this."

"Oh but Pitstop, you are getting special treatment. Special treatment by yours truly…"

The main hairdresser gave a quick spin, and out came a familiar figure, her own archenemy!

"The Hooded Claw!" Penelope gasped.

"Your worst nightmare back in action." The Hooded Claw laughed with a bow.

"And I'll bet your 'fellow stylists' are…" Penelope figured as the two remaining hairdressers did quick change acts of their own.

"The Bully Brothers!" The Bully Brothers answered as they held their tied-up captive on each side, leading her into a jeep that the Hooded Claw was about to drive.

"Place her in the back seats, Bully Brothers." The Hooded Claw told the Bully Brothers. "I have something extra special whipped up for her birthday."

"Right, Claw." The Bully Brothers replied as they put her in the back seats of the Jeep and joined their boss in the front.

"Does my hair still look okay?" Penelope asked.

"Yes, it looks fine, Penelope." The Bully Brothers groaned.

"Are you sure?"

"We're sure your hair looks fine, Pitstop." The Hooded Claw frowned.

"You fiends would tell me if my hair didn't look okay, wouldn't you?"

"We may be villains but we'd still tell you yes!" The Hooded Claw scowled. "Now will you stop whining?"

A while later, the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers took Penelope to an empty spot in a park in town, where she was now seen tied up on top of the edge of a seesaw.

"Like I said before Pitstop, and I will repeat, this peril is extra special." The Hooded Claw sneered.

"What's so extra special about it, you fiend?" Penelope frowned at him before the sounds of buzzing made her nervous.

"Since you're so curious, I'll be glad to spill the beans." The Hooded Claw explained his next peril. "For this peril I'm going to let good ole Mother Nature do my bad work! At any minute now the strong fall wind will blow and cause the kick-boot that is tied to the branch of the tree behind you to, well, kick the large ball that is tied to the branch of the middle tree. The ball will fall loose from the rope holding it in place after it is kicked and land on the other side of the seesaw you are tied to, catapulting you head or face first into that hornet's nest!"

The Hooded Claw broke into evil laughter.

"You fiend!" Penelope's eyes widened with fear and she was also angry. "How do you know I'm allergic to bee stings?!"

"Penelope, as your archenemy, it's my job to know all about you." The Hooded Claw smirked before laughing again. "I know what you do for fun, I know your favorite foods, and I even know where you live and where you sleep!"

"Oh dear! I was hoping you'd never know that!"

"I also know all about your serious bee allergies!" The Hooded Claw's wicked grin not going anyplace. "One itty bitty sting from one bee will cause you to swell up and have trouble breathing. More than one sting from a large number of bees in that nest, and you won't even survive on the ambulance stretcher!"

"Don't bet on it, Claw!" Penelope shot back, searching her jacket pockets for something despite being tied up. "I have the one thing that will help me in such a predicament!"

But then she realized her pockets were empty.

"Oh no…"

"Looking for this?" The Hooded Claw laughed as he held both Penelope's cell phone and her epipen for bee stings.

"My little ole epipen! Give that back you hooded pickpocket!"

"I'd love to Pitstop, but I simply need to get going." The Hooded Claw turned his head to Penelope. "Sorry I can't stay to see your stinging defeat!"

The Hooded Claw let out another wicked laugh as he left the scene.

This was the first time the Hooded Claw ever placed her in a peril that involved the very creatures she was severely allergic to. Despite her fears, Penelope knew she had to try to find a way out of the mess she was in before a wind could blow.

She began to struggle to get free. It was difficult since she was tied up pretty tight and she could barely get up from her lying position, but she did not want to risk getting stung on her birthday. Despite struggling with all her might, it was too late, for the wind blew with greater might and forced the boot tied to a branch of the one tree behind Penelope to kick the ball tied to the middle tree.

The ball went flying, and, wham! It landed on the other end of the seesaw and sent Penelope flying forward.

Fortunately, before Penelope could land head or face first in the hive in the tree in front of her, a gray gloved hand grabbed a strand of the ropes binding Penelope, and very gently pulled her back into strong, but loving arms.

"Penelope, are you alright my dear?" Said a kind male voice.

Penelope caught her breath after such a sudden rescue.

"Yes, I'm okay." She took a deep breath or two and opened her eyes and looked into the gorgeous eyes of the handsome man who saved her life.

Penelope took one look at his handsome face and at once knew who this rescuer holding her was. Not only was he another Wacky Races friend and competitor of hers, but he was also the love of her life.

"Oh, Peter Perfect!" Penelope smiled as she once more looked into Peter's eyes. "Y'all were magnificent! You always are, sugar!"

"Thank you, Pretty Penny." Peter replied, still carrying the tied-up Penelope in his arms. "Now let me get you away from that dreaded hornet's nest and someplace safer."

"Oh, Peter, you are the perfect mind reader!"

Once Peter took Penelope to another area in the park and away from the tree with the hornet's nest in it, Peter successfully untied her and held her hand as they walked to a bench and settled themselves down.

"Thank you ever so ever for coming to my little ole rescue, Peter!" Penelope praised her love as he held her close to keep her warm from the wind. "However did you know where I was, and how did you find little ole me?"

"I was driving through town so I could meet you there and take you to lunch like we planned, when all of a sudden, I saw you placed in that awful trap." Peter explained. "Obviously I knew I had to act really fast, or you'd be done in by heaven knows how many bees on your birthday. Is that Hooded Claw stirring up trouble again?"

"He's been stirring up trouble all day, Peter."

"I'm unnerved that he put you in such a trap! Isn't that fiend aware that you're allergic to bee stings?"

"That's exactly why he placed me in that trap in the first place. You're never afraid of confronting the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers. Why didn't you stop them?"

"I tried to catch up to find them, but I was too late." Peter said. "But I did manage to get your cell phone and your epipen back after he seemed to have dropped them by mistake. You'd think the Hooded Claw would at least be kind enough to give you a break from perils on your birthday."

"Not the Hooded Claw." Penelope sighed. "He'll keep trying to do me in despite that it's my birthday."

"Well, Pretty Penny, you my dear have nothing to worry about with me here." Peter reassured her with a smile. "Stay there, I have something for you."

As Peter left to find what he had for Penelope, she sat at the park bench patiently, but eagerly waiting to see what it was. Seconds later, Peter returned.

"Happy Birthday, Penelope!" Peter took out a bouquet of roses and a small wrapped up gift box that was tied to the bouquet.

"Oh Peter, they are lovely!" Penelope smiled with surprise and joy as she took the roses and looked at the gift box. "And what's this?"

"Something I just couldn't resist buying for you."

Penelope unwrapped the box and took the top of the box off. Her face showed pure happiness when she saw what was in the box.

"A new charm for my little ole bracelet!" Penelope took out a small silver charm that had a royal blue jewel heart. "I just adore the shade of blue! It looks amazing!"

"That jewel's shade of blue is a sapphire, the birthstone of September." Peter grinned. "I saw this on sale at a department store that I went to recently and I just could not say no to getting it for you. I figured it would make a lovely addition to the sterling silver charm bracelet your late father got you at Tiffany's for your birthday years ago. Do you have it with you?"

"I always do." Penelope removed her white glove and revealed a real sterling silver charm bracelet that her famous businessman father indeed got her at Tiffany's years ago before his tragic death.

"I'll help you get the charm on." Peter carefully clipped the charm onto Penelope's bracelet.

Penelope looked at the newly applied charm on her bracelet and loved how it looked.

"My charm looks so beautiful!" Penelope gently caressed the charm.

Peter gave her a tender, loving kiss on her cheek.

"You my dear, are even more beautiful. And it's you who's full of charm."

"I'm so grateful you're here, and that you brightened up my birthday." Penelope curled up to Peter in the bench.

"And I'm glad I could be here, to rescue you and brighten your birthday." Peter ran his hand through her blonde locks. "Having faced all those traps, it's just what you need."

Peter and Penelope shared a long kiss as the leaves fell.

"Mush." The Bully Brothers muttered as they hid behind a tree with the Hooded Claw.

"What is this?" The Hooded Claw frowned as he listened to Penelope and Peter's conversation.

"Well Penelope, now that you've been rescued, shall we be off to lunch?" Peter took Penelope's hand and helped her out of the bench.

"We certainly may, honey." Penelope grinned. "The sooner we get going the better. If I know the Hooded Claw, he might strike back any second."

"That's why I'm here." Peter bowed. "Miss Penelope, it will be my pleasure to be your ever-present protector for the day. To make sure you stay safe from the Hooded Claw and to keep my eyes out for him. And don't you worry, Penny my love. If he and the Bully Brothers should come around, you know I'll be ready for him."

The Hooded Claw was turning red with rage.

"Why that pesky Perfect!" He snarled.

"Claw, don't get too angry!" The Bully Brothers tried to hold him back. "Remember, your blood pressure!"

"Blast!" The Hooded Claw angrily kicked the tree, causing the hornet's nest to fall and stir up all the hornets in it.

"Now look what you've done!" The Bully Brothers stared in fear with their boss before the villains found themselves being chased by the bees.

"Ouch! Oooch!" The Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers kept saying as the bees stung them during their chase.

"Look at that, Penelope." Peter looked at scene with chuckles.

"I see, Peter." Penelope giggled as she, too, watched her archenemies being chased by the hornets. "The Hooded Claw is getting what he deserves: a stinging defeat! Let's leave for lunch right away."

"Absolutely, Penny." Peter took her hand as he and Penelope walked out of the park and to his powerful, red convertible. "I'll be here to make sure you're safe and to make sure your birthday is a wonderful one!"


	8. A Date With Fate!

A few moments after they left the park, Penelope and Peter were now seen at an Italian Restaurant, sitting at a table for two, having a conversation while awaiting their order.

"My, how great it feels to have this time to ourselves." Penelope took a breath of relaxation and smiled. "Just you and me, and a relief from the Hooded Claw's perils."

"It is indeed a relief, Penny." Peter replied. "Aside from the Hooded Claw's constant scheming and traps, how has your birthday been?"

"It's been good despite the Hooded Claw trying to do me in again and again." Said Penelope. "You would not believe who came to rescue little ole me."

"Who, Penelope?"

"Why, some of our friends from the Wacky Races!" Penelope answered.

"Did they now? Tell me Penny, exactly which one of our friends from the Wacky Races saved you?"

"Well, the Ant Hill Mob of course, they saved me from being eaten alive by a giant octopus." Penelope told Peter about her latest rescues from the Hooded Claw. "Then Rufus Ruffcut and his little ole beaver Sawtooth stopped me from being split in half in a sawmill in the woods. After that, the Gruesome Twosome rescued me before a moving wall of steel spikes could move towards me and puncture me, and then the Slag Brothers, Rock and Gravel, built a little ole pool out of jagged rocks that I was doomed to fall on in the mountains."

Peter was impressed to hear about his and Penelope's fellow Wacky Races competitors coming to her rescue.

"I never dreamed that our friends in the races would come rescue you from the Hooded Claw's clutches."

"Neither did I, Peter." Penelope grinned. "As much as you know I don't like the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers frequently capturing me and trying to do me in, I'm going to have to consider it a blessing because I got the chance to see my little ole friends after they saved me."

"It's great to see that you're thinking positive even though the Hooded Claw keeps trying to spoil your birthday." Peter looked into Penelope's blue eyes, then sighed with a smile. "And it's great to know that the Ant Hill Mob and I aren't the only ones who are willing to look out for you."

"Yes, and I can't wait to see the Ant Hill Mob again." Penelope could not stop thinking about the Ant Hill Mob, who unknown to her, were still preparing her surprise party. "I'll have so much to tell them about my day and these perils!"

"I know how much you love telling me and our Wacky Race friends about your adventures and the perils you encounter on them as much as we enjoy hearing about them." Peter nodded. "And I'm sure Clyde and the rest of the Ant Hill Mob would be interested in hearing about what your perils and rescues."

Penelope (obviously) did not like being continuously kidnapped and nearly done in by the Hooded Claw and the Bully Brothers, but she knew that one must always look on the bright side of things. And the bright side to the constant captures and attempted perils and escapes was that she enjoyed telling her friends from the Wacky Races about them, and they loved hearing about her stories as much as she loved telling them.

If her stories involved times where she was unable to save herself, she'd allow the Ant Hill Mob to tell the other racers about their daring rescues. Peter had rescued Penelope a few times himself, and of course he got his chances to talk about his rescues, too.

"It seems like you're having quite an eventful birthday, and I'd like to hear more about it." Peter wanted to know how her day went.

During their lunch, Penelope explained to Peter more clearly how the Hooded Claw captured her and placed her in his traps and how the Wacky Racers who came to her rescue managed to save her. She also told Peter about how she got the chance to spend time with each Wacky Racer after they'd save her before she had to leave to get to town. She also talked about how the Ant Hill Mob surprised her with their breakfast in bed this morning and how thankful she felt that she was able to unwind for a while with a mani-pedi.

After about a half hour, Peter and Penelope finished their lunch and moved in closer so they could be together.

"I'm so glad you and I got to spend some time to ourselves, Peter." Said Penelope as she held Peter's hand.

"Believe me, Pretty Penny, the day's not over yet, there's still more time for you and me together, my love."

Peter and Penelope leaned in for a kiss when someone came to them.

This person was donning a white chef's uniform, a chef's hat, a black apron and a mustache.

"Well, well, well. I heard that there's a rather beautiful looking young lady celebrating her birthday today."

"Why yes, that would be me." Penelope replied. "Who are you?"

"My name is Chef Man-ar-dee, and I'm her to give this sweet birthday guest a special treat." The chef replied.

"What kind of treats, sir?" Penelope wondered.

"If any customers come on their birthdays, I give them samples of the restaurant's signature desserts." The chef told Penelope.

"How could I have not known about this?"

"It's something the restaurant just introduced, my dear."

"Oh, goodie!" Penelope smiled. "But I've been looking forward to a birthday cake later."

"Which is why my dessert samples are little bite-sized samples." The chef said to Penelope. "Your birthday only comes once a year. Why miss out on this chance, Madame?"

"I certainly wouldn't want to miss that."

"Then come with me, miss." The chef beckoned Penelope. "I'll lead you to our samples."

"Penny, I don't know about this…" Peter was starting to get a bit worried.

"I'll be safe, Peter, and this shouldn't take long." Penelope reassured her boyfriend.

"But…" Peter was still worried.

"Everything's alright, and so am I, sugar."

Penelope gave him a kiss on his cheek, easing his spirits a bit.

"I believe you, Penny." Peter smiled again. "Go on a have a few dessert samples. They sound like good ones."

"Come now, miss. This opportunity only comes around this time of day." The chef led Penelope away from the table she was sitting with Peter at and into another room in the restaurant.

The room the chef took Penelope into was dark and empty, giving Penelope an odd feeling.

"It's awfully dark in here, and I don't see any desserts in this room." Penelope looked around.

"The only sample you'll be getting is a sample of your finish!"

A light in the room came on, and the chef gave a spin, revealing…

"The Hooded Claw! I can't believe you snuck into restaurant like that!"

"You'd better start believing, Blondie." The Hooded Claw sneered. "I wouldn't be an evil villain if I wasn't sneaky, would I?"

From behind her, the Bully Brothers grabbed Penelope and strapped her down to a wheeled food tray. Even though her arms were restrained at her sides by heavy black straps, Penelope immediately took her cell phone out of her jacket pocket and made an emergency call to Peter.

"Peter! Peter you've got to help little ole me, please!" Penelope warned Peter through her phone.

"Penelope, what's going on?" Asked a concerned Peter, who had stepped outside, knowing that it was bad manners to talk on one's cell phone in a restaurant. "Are you alright?"

"No, Peter. That chef turned out to be the Hood…"

"What did I tell you about using your cell phone in my clutches?" The Hooded Claw quickly snatched Penelope's phone and hung it up on Peter.

"Penny? Penny answer me!" Peter cried. "That foul fiend! What could he possibly be up to this time!?"

"Quick, Bully Brothers! Out the backway!" The Hooded Claw signaled his henchmen, Penelope still strapped to the wheeled tray. "We're taking Pitstop to a place where that Perfect parasite will never find her!"

The Hooded Claw's evil laugh filled the room.


	9. Experimenting With Danger

Meanwhile, at what looked like some kind of laboratory, Penelope found herself tied to a table, metal clamps holding her wrists and ankles. The Hooded Claw looked at her through an open window above the laboratory room he trapped her in.

"Can you see me from here, Pitstop?" The Hooded Claw grinned.

"Ask a ridiculous question. You're a little ole sight for sore eyes." Penelope frowned. " _Very_ sore eyes."

"I'll take that as a compliment, now allow me to explain your latest peril." The Hooded Claw laughed before he began his explanation. "When I press this button on the control panel in front of me, that machine above you will start scanning your pretty body, so it'll know exactly who to kill. Once the scanning process is complete, it'll activate those four laser beams you see also above you, just in all four directions of you, north, south, east and west of course. The lasers will move on the table to which you are restrained on and approach you in their respective directions, slowly at first, until their speed increases. Those lasers are powerful enough to both burn right through you and slice you up like a birthday cake, which unfortunately for you, you won't be able to have after this experiment does its work!"

The Hooded Claw gave an evil laugh.

"Hey, Bully Brothers!" He called into the lab room. "Are those laser beams in the right places? They'd better be!"

"Yes, boss." The Bully Brothers replied in unison. "And they're ready when you are."

"Good, now step outside the room." He grinned. "I'll catch up to you as soon as I work this technological apparatus and fire up those lasers."

From there, the Hooded Claw pushed a button on the keypad in front of him. The scanner above the table Penelope was bound to started beeping, indicating that it was working. Before too long the scanner shone a red light that moved from Penelope's toes and upward.

Penelope's eyes followed the scanner's red light as it moved up to the top of her head.

"Begin laser activation." Said a female voice that was part of the control panel.

"Yes, yes, yes!" The Hooded Claw's wicked smile really shining through.

All four of the laser beams started, one at a time, and soon each laser began to approach Penelope in each of their respective directions.

"Now that my work is through, it's high time I left!" The Hooded Claw called down to Penelope. "Hope you enjoy this special laser show! It'll leave you burning in excitement!"

He gave a wicked, confident, full-out laugh that filled the lab before he turned to leave.

Penelope watched with wide eyes as the lasers approached her body in all four directions. The speed of each laser was medium, which wasn't slow, but certainly not too fast, affording her some time to assess her predicament and figure out how to escape. The clamps on the table holding her wrists and ankles were so heavy, that it made for little, if any, movement. But she knew she had to think of something while she had a chance, so she struggled to move her hand while moving her head toward it.

"If I can only move my hand and reach my hairpin." She thought as she struggled in vain to get her head and fingers close together, which was nearly impossible because her wrists were tied above her head on each side.

The speed of the lasers increased and they got closer to Penelope. She tried moving her body from side-to-side to avoid the lasers, but she had no such luck because the lasers were coming to the top, bottom, left and right of her body. Penelope shut her eyes as the lasers got closer and closer, yet she was not thinking of herself during this perilous plight of hers.

"Poor Peter." She thought to herself. "He'll be more than devastated when he finds out about the loss of his love."

Just before Penelope was about to get burnt through and sliced by the lasers, the machine suddenly stopped and the lasers disappeared. Penelope took a breath, opened her eyes, and looked around realizing that she was still alive and wondering why the laser beams suddenly stopped.

"Hello!" She kept looking around the lab. "Is anyone there? Who stopped this little ole device?"

"Penelope Pitstop?" Penelope heard a voice from the open window the Hooded Claw was in earlier. "I thought I'd recognize that voice."

The sound of footsteps on a flight of stairs in the lab coming to the room approached her ears, and in came a scientist with a mustard-yellow lab coat, black slacks and matching shoes.

"Are you alright, Miss Penelope?" The scientist asked her.

"Yes, I'm alright." Penelope replied the minute she collected her thoughts and looked at him. "I'm glad you came in to save little ole…"

It was then that Penelope realized that she knew the scientist who rescued her.

"Why, Professor Pat Pending!" She smiled. "Ingenious inventor and Wacky Races friend of mine! How great it is to see you!"

"It's a pleasure to see you, too, Penelope." The Professor smiled, grabbing a screwdriver. "Hold very still now, my dear. I'll have you out of these restraints in no time."

It took some time because the clamps were heavy, but the Professor managed to unscrew both the wrist and ankle clamps, and Penelope was able to sit up again now that she was free.

"I'm free!" Penelope rubbed her sore wrists. "Thank you ever so much for saving my life, Professor Pending. How did you know about this peril and what was going to happen to little ole me?"

"Well, Penelope, I was just returning to my humble lab to check on one of my gadgets, when I heard the sound of those laser beams." Pat explained. "When I discovered where the noise of the laser beams were coming from, I saw you bound to that table and the lasers about to burn through you and slice you up. I couldn't just allow you to endure that, so I ran as fast as my feet could carry me to the control panel and turned every bit and piece of this experiment off. Who did this to you, anyway?"

"It was my archenemy the Hooded Claw again." Penelope told him. "He brought me in here and used that experiment as yet another attempt to do me in."

"I might've known." Pat frowned as he examined the experiment that nearly destroyed Penelope. "I can't believe anyone would stoop so low as to break into my lab and mess with one of my experiments just to try to do away with someone?"

"That's the Hooded Claw for you, Professor. He'll even stoop so low as to try to ruin my birthday just so he can be rid of me."

Then something sparked her mind.

"Professor, did you just say this is your lab? And is that really one of your ingenious inventions?" Penelope was curious.

"Why yes, Penelope." Pat nodded. "This is indeed my laboratory, my second home. And that was an experiment of mine. With this experiment, I am able to carve all sorts of meat! ham, pork, Thanksgiving turkeys, you name it. The scanner above the table where I place the meat to be carved scans the meat so it'll know exactly which type of meat is being carved and it checks for any fats. The lasers are so powerful, that it easily burns through even the most stubborn meat fat."

Penelope gasped a bit.

"You mean I've gained some weight back?" She looked at herself. "That diet and exercise plan was working so well!"

"No, no Penelope." Pat reassured her. "You haven't gained any weight, my child. You look just fine. It's just that the scanner knew to activate the laser on you because, after all, we humans are made of meat."

"That's true. I'm terribly sorry the Hooded Claw broke in and tampered with your little ole contraption."

"Not to worry, Penelope." Pat replied. "Sure it was wrong of him to intrude and use it, but because he didn't cause too much damage, if any, it's best that we let bygones be bygones. There are worse things he could do. In the meantime, while you're here, would you like me to give you a tour of my facility?"

"Oh, Professor, that would be ever so divine of you!"

"Penelope!" A male voice caught both Penelope and Pat's attention. "Penny, where are you?"

"That voice sure sounds familiar." Pat said.

"It's Peter Perfect!" Penelope grinned. "He must've been looking all over for little ole me!"

She ran outside of the lab.

"Peter! Peter, I'm over here!" Penelope called out to him once she was outside.

Peter turned his head, saw Penelope and ran to her.

"Oh, Penny! Thank goodness you're alive!" He held her close and gave her a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Yes, I'm alive, Peter." Penelope said. "I'm alive, thanks to a friend of ours."

"Who is this friend of ours, Penelope?" Peter wondered.

"Peter Perfect, what a pleasure to see you again." Pat extended a hand.

"It's great to see you too, Professor." Peter shook Pat's hand.

"The Professor rescued little ole me from being sliced up by four laser beams." Penelope told him. "He's just about to give me a tour of his lab."

"Would you be interested in joining us, Peter?" Pat offered.

"I would be delighted, Professor." Peter told him.

"Good! The more the merrier!" Pat led Penelope and Peter through the lab. "Just follow me."

They approached an area in the laboratory where Pat's Wacky Races car, the Covert-a-Car, rested.

"Oh, look! There's the Convert-a-Car in the little ole flesh, or wood, or whatever it's made of." Penelope was amazed to see it.

"What's your car doing inside of your laboratory building?" Peter couldn't help but ask. "Shouldn't it be parked in a garage?"

"Normally it should be, but my laboratory doesn't have a garage." Pat explained. "Besides, this is where I create new parts for the Convert-a-Car so I can turn it into the things I turn it into during a race."

"That certainly makes sense." Penelope nodded. "How very intriguing. What else do you have for us to see?"

"I have plenty of neat gizmos in this room." Pat opened a door. "You'll both especially like this one. Come on out, little fella."

Out came what looked like a robotic kitten, mewing and rubbing its head on the Professor's leg.

"This, my friends is my mechanical kitten." He scooped up the mechanical kitten and cuddled it. "I named him George!"

"He's so cute!" Penelope adored George. "May I hold him, Professor?"

"Go right ahead, my dear." Pat handed George to her. "I invented him because I'm allergic to real cats. And I'm certainly glad I invented him. He won't hack up any hairballs or grow so old he'll eventually need to be…"

"I know…" Penelope nodded with a sigh.

"Shame on you, Professor." Peter gave Pat a stern look. "Bringing up such depressing matters on a lady's birthday."

"Oh, goodness…" Penelope blushed and giggled. "Peter cares that much about little ole me."

"I do apologize, Penelope." Pat felt a bit guilty. "I guess I got carried away. Shall we continue our tour?"

"We shall, Professor. All is forgiven. You know that."

"Very well then, let's keep going."

The heroes kept touring the areas of the lab when they came to the entranceway of another room.

"Ah, ah, ah." Pat stopped Peter and Penelope. "I'm sorry friends, but I can't allow you in this facility."

"Why not, Professor?" Penelope asked. "Is it top secret?"

"Or forbidden?" Peter asked as well.

"Normally no, but I'm still working on Penelope's birthday present." Pat answered. "Don't worry my dear, I'll have it complete by the end of the day."

"Hmm, I wonder what it is…" Penelope smirked a bit with a giggle.

"Something I just know you'll love."

The Professor kept showing Penelope and Peter the rooms of the lab and his many inventions and experiments. Neither Penelope nor Peter, until today, have ever been to the Professor's laboratory, so they had fun seeing the many laboratory facilities and wonderful experiments Pat came up with on a daily basis.

"This my friends is our last stop for today." Pat took them to the last part of the lab. "Do you see that table of test tubes and beakers with all those different colored liquids in them?"

"We do see them, Professor." Penelope nodded.

"Are those liquids your typical laboratory chemicals?" Peter asked.

"Good guess, but no." Pat replied.

"Really. Then what are they? They don't smell like chemicals."

"If anything, they smell rather fruity." Penelope sniffed the stuff in the beakers.

"Why yes, Penelope." Pat told her. "This is where I invent the next best things to juices, jellos, and tropical drinks. With these substances, I'm able to invent all kinds of food products no one has ever even thought of."

"Like what?"

"For instance, I made some grape butter for people who are allergic to peanuts but still want the peanut butter and jelly flavor to their sandwiches." Pat showed them the many food products he invented with his fruit substances. "Plus there's my infamous strawberry gravy!"

"Strawberry gravy?" Peter and Penelope both asked.

"Yes, and it tastes amazing with turkey!" Pat nodded. "Please, feel free to try a sample of my substances. I promise you they are highly edible!"

"Thank you professor." Peter smiled. "Don't mind if we do."

Peter and Penelope took sips of the fruit substances from their beakers.

"Those are really good, Professor." Penelope complimented Pat and his substances.

"Oh, thank you. It takes hard work to come up with and create these, you know."

"Well I certainly had a great time!"

"Yes, thank you very much for showing us your lab, professor." Peter said. "And thank you very much for rescuing Penelope from the Hooded Claw's treacherous trap."

"Yes, thank you for that Professor." Penelope agreed.

"Oh, I'm certainly glad I both rescued Penelope and showed the two of you around." Pat replied. "Happy birthday, Penelope!"

"Oh thank you Professor. Farewell!"

"Goodbye you two! You enjoy yourselves now!" Pat waved goodbye as Peter and Penelope began to leave. "Peter, be sure to keep a sharp eye on Penelope."

"After what happened, Professor, you bet I will!" Peter nodded. "Goodbye!"

Once Peter and Penelope left Pat's lab, Peter turned to her.

"After that experience, I believe it's best that I take you to my home." He suggested. "We'll even take a shortcut."

"I agree, Peter." Said Penelope. "I just know I'll be safe in your home."

"Yes, and there's plenty of birthday surprises waiting for you there." Peter took Penelope's hand. "Let's go."

Peter and Penelope walked hand in hand and continued their journey.

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: This fan-fic is now dedicated in loving memory of Janet Waldo (February 4, 1920-June 12, 2016) who provided the voice of, who else, Penelope Pitstop herself, as well as several other well-known Hanna Barbera ladies! Rest in Peace Miss Waldo, you were a great voice actress for the World of HB! I hope your fellow voice actors for the Wacky Races and Perils of Penelope Pitstop, Daws Butler, Dave Willock, Paul Winchell, Don Messick, Paul Lynde, Mel Blanc, and Gary Owens, as well as creators of both shows, William Hanna and Joseph Barbera were happy to have finally reunited with you after all those years!**


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